“I’m here, Wallflower. What happened?” I continue to gather any loose strands of hair and tuck a few behind her ear, away from her face.
“I don’t know.” She spits on the ground before turning her head to look up at me. Tears line her eyes. “I grabbed a glass of champagne, came out here to look for you, and I started to feel sick again. I couldn’t hold it down.”
She turns back to face the ground. One hand is perched on her knee, her other wrapped around her middle. An empty champagne glass rests at her feet.
“How many glasses have you had?” I ask her.
She slowly turns her head again. Her worried eyes search mine. “That was my first glass.”
I draw my eyebrows together.
“Oh, no. It’s happening again.” Her cheeks swell, and her body roils, then she’s vomiting again.
Some of her hair falls from my grip but I’m quick to gather itback up. I rub my hand over her back, hating that she’s feeling like this.
“I’m certain being an asshole is the only thing you’re capable of.” My sister’s raised voice in the distance cuts through Selene’s vomiting. “Seriously, you should add that title to all of your company letterheads.”
With one hand wrapped around Selene’s hair, I use the other to rub circles over her back while I listen to what’s going on between Rome and Julianna.
“Oh, God.” Selene groans, lifting her hand to wipe the back of it across her mouth.
“Tell me, Lark,” Rome announces raising his arms in the air. “Lay it on me. Release me from this torture.”
“Oh.” Julianna snorts. “Now, you want to listen to me?”
“If it’ll get you to stop chasing me like a sad, pathetic, lost little kitten, then yes. Anything to get you to stop talking.”
A pause, then, “Now I remember why I hate you.”
“Feeling’s mutual, Lark.”
“Stop calling me that!” she shouts.
Rome exhales sharply and stuffs his hands into his pockets as he looks away dismissively. “What have you been chasing me all night to tell me? Let’s get this over with so I can go home in peace.”
“You’re the one who slithered your way in here like the serpent I’ve always known you to be,” Julianna lashes out. “I take that back. You aren’t a serpent, you’re a coward. Sneaking into the one place no one will be able to recognize you under that mask. You have no reason to be here.”
“Very original, Lark.” Rome scoffs, unamused. “Why don’t you try coming up with new insults to hurl at me? It would make our interactions a little more worthwhile.”
“What’s happening?” Selene asks with a shaky voice, still bent over.
“I don’t know,” I mutter, not tearing my eyes away from my sister and Rome.
Selene vomits again.
“I’ve been trying to reach you for weeks,” Julianna seethes angrily.
“I’m aware,” Rome replies dryly.
“Great.” Julianna plants her hands on her hips. “Well, since you’ve asked so kindly as to why I’ve been trying to talk to you, I’ll tell you. I was hoping I could convince you to drop this lawsuit against Holt.”
“Why should I? He knowingly published an article that was clearly defamatory. Do you understand the damage this has caused? Although, I do have to give him credit where credit is due. Took balls for Holt to do it, considering our family history.”
“Holt wasn’t aware of the article.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I just do,” Julianna clips.
